Study: Taxi Drivers Might Be Less Likely To Get Alzheimer’s

The daily skills taxi and ambulance drivers use may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease. Using death records from 9 million people, Boston researchers found that 4% of people of all professions died from Alzheimer’s. However, only 1% of taxi drivers and .7% of ambulance drivers passed due to the disease. “Neurological changes in the hippocampus or elsewhere among taxi and ambulance drivers may account for the lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Anupam Jena suggested. The hippocampus is the area of the brain that transfers short-term memories into long-term memories. “It’s important to consider how occupations may affect risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease and whether any cognitive activities can be potentially preventive,” Dr. Jena said. (UPI)